The region of Pembrokeshire in Wales offers plenty to do for families looking for a UK staycation, from its many castles to its popular beaches, and boat trips to scope out seals, dolphins and puffins on Skomer Island.
We visited the coastal town of Milford Haven – a harbour town with historic links to fishing with a regenerated marina, floating hotels and links to Pembrokeshire Coastal Path.
The area offers visitors a community feel with plenty of places to eat and drink, as well as being hugely dog-friendly for holidaymakers looking for a location to bring their dogs.
The area is within easy reach by train with its local station – Milford Haven – being an hour’s train ride from Cardiff Central station.
But if you’re driving, the area is well situated within 40 minutes of some of South Wales’ most popular locations like Tenby, St David’s and Pembroke Castle.
Milford Haven offers a mix of both holiday cottage lets and hotels, as well as its popular “floatels” if you want a location with sea views.
We stayed at Hafan Glas – a holiday let on Charles Street within 10 minutes’ walk of the waterfront that can sleep up to four people, with a spacious outdoor garden and living area within just 5 minutes of a local pub.
The area offers a mix of feeling quiet and relaxed, whilst still offering ample places to eat and drink of an evening if you prefer to stay somewhere livelier than a village.
On the waterfront you’ll find everything from bakeries and coffee shops to restaurants and bars to eat at.
Among those we tried, Stack’d was a favourite of ours, if you’re looking for a casual family-friendly burger spot with a broad selection of vegan and vegetarian options, along with their popular milkshakes.
However, if you’re looking for something a little more sophisticated for the adults, Martha’s Vineyard offers rooftop seating with views of the marina and a seasonally-led menu using locally sourced seafood and produce.
The restaurant serves a great selection of wines and cocktails, as well as daily specials with freshly caught fish and seafood like lobster and crab.
But finally, if you’re looking for unusual cocktails and locally sourced Welsh food, Dulse restaurant within the 4-star Tŷ Hotel on the marina is well worth a visit.
Their cocktails were a highlight for me, with unusual options like their “99 With a Flake”, a take on a classic whippy ice cream with vanilla vodka and finished with a chocolate flake.
But the food is also worth a mention as well, with a menu featuring plenty of freshy caught seafood like mussels and salmon.
Milford Waterfront has a few local attractions you can do, like kayaking from Milford Beach Activity Centre, where you can take a kayak ride with the option of a single or double kayak if you want to partner with a friend.
Alongside this you’ll also find a number of local walking routes if you fancy stretching your legs, ranging in lengths depending on how long you want to spend.
Around the marina, you’ll find three themed Heritage Trails — Historic Haven, Energy Kingdom and Water Way — which you can undertake with the help of a QR code to tell the stories of the town’s past.
The longest of them, the Wales Coast Path, runs from Milford Haven to Dale, a scenic 10-mile stretch that passes beaches, woodlands, and cliff-top views.
Other popular options include loops around Gelliswick Bay and Hubberston Pill, the scenic Blackbridge Circular Walk with its river valley and woodland birdlife, or a stage of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path linking Pembroke to Milford Haven.
Milford Haven also features a museum, housed within the town’s oldest building – the former Custom House – and tells the story of Milford Haven’s history with the notorious whaling trade, as well as its links to fishing and its role in sustainable energy today.
But if you fancy getting out of Milford Haven and exploring more of the local area, Milford Haven is situated within easy driving distance of a number of popular locations like Tenby and St David’s.
Frequently mentioned in pub quizzes, St David’s is known as the UK’s smallest city by population, with 1,751 people recorded there in 2021.
The city features its stunning cathedral which dates back to the 12th century, and around the area you’ll find plenty of quaint streets to wander through.
Pembrokeshire also features a plethora of castles, from Pembroke Castle with its links to Henry VII, to Picton Castle with its beautiful gardens to explore, if you fancy exploring one of Wales’s most scenic castles.
But one of the best parts about staying in this region is its many beaches, with many of them being dog-friendly if, like us, you are visiting the region with a dog.
Some of the area’s most popular beaches include Broadhaven, which is dog-friendly, and Dale with its historic lighthouse and nearby pub.
Whether you’re visiting for a family trip or want to get out in nature or explore some of Pembrokeshire’s history, MilfordWaterfront offers the right mix of places to eat and places to shop to make it a good base for a trip to this beautiful part of the country.
